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Friday, September 15, 2017

Weekly Clean Energy Roundup

In 1977, each watt from a silicon solar panel cost a whopping $76. In 1987, it was $10. Now? A mere $0.22. Solar power is definitely getting cheaper. Singularity Hub looks at a number of unique and innovative ways, such as “quantum dot solar cells,” through which scientists are trying to squeeze out a little more power from the sun.

Follow a decade of development, the ABS, “a leading provider of classification and technical services to the offshore and marine industries,” has completed a review of the University of Maine’s innovative floating offshore wind turbine. The result? It passed! Dubbed the VolturnUS, it’s the first of its kind to receive a review by the ABS and meets its requirements. And, as a result, is expected to attract private investments worldwide.

Perovskite cells are a possible replacement for silicon solar cells, due in part to their lower cost and potential to perform better than the current cell du jour. Unfortunately, they have one flaw: efficiency limits, a fact owed to their susceptibility to “to substantial non-radiative decay when exposed to solar radiation.” But, there long-term solutions.